The Sunshine After the Rain
by guesswho369
Summary: Cute ficlet about Harry's sunshine after the rain (thus, the title)


The Sunshine After the Rain  
  
The rain was coming down hard. Horizontally, even. And he was sitting on the window-seat watching it fall. His heart was breaking into a million pieces faster then the rain was coming down.  
  
First his parents, then Cedric, then Sirius. It didn't matter anymore though. He didn't care. Voldemort could kill him. He could do it slowly and painfully. It was what he wanted.  
  
He wanted. needed to be punished. Punished for killing all these people.  
  
His parents had died to save him, Sirius had died to save him, and it was his idea that Cedric and him both took the Tri-wizards Cup together. If he would have just taken it himself like Cedric suggested. And anyone else that died in The Order was his fault as well. They were all protecting him. He was the only one who could defeat him.  
  
He could just hand himself over. Then nobody would die.  
  
"That's stupid. If you hand yourself over, nobody else could defeat him and then everyone would die." He thought.  
  
"The prophecy's a phony, just like Trelawney. Dumbledore could can kill him! He's the greatest wizard ever!" He argued with himself.  
  
"Er. Harry, you okay?" Ron interrupted, a concerned look on his face.  
  
"Yeah. I'm just. just going to look in the library." Harry made up the first excuse that came to mind.  
  
"Okay, well do you want me to come with you?"  
  
"Nah, I'm just going to. be by myself for a while."  
  
"Okay. Have fun!" Ron smiled, but there was a relieved look on his face.  
  
Once outside the common room, he could breath again. He wasn't boxed into anything. No one was tip toeing around him anymore. Until he ran into someone else of course. But that was never much of a problem. People outside the Gryffindor Common Room usually tried to avoid him. And vise versa.  
  
He walked up two flights of steps, and turned left. He passed 6 doors, and opened the seventh. This had become a sort of, routine.  
  
Opening the door the fresh, chilled air welcomed him as he stepped out onto the balcony.  
  
This was his place. The place he came to get away from everything. He had searched for days for a place to hide. He couldn't use his old spot. It hurt too much, the place where he had sent Buckbeak and Sirius off in his third year. No, he needed a change. Someplace that didn't recognize him. Someplace that didn't know, or care that he was Harry Potter the Boy Who Lived.  
  
It was a balcony overlooking the Forbidden Forest and the lake. He could see everything, everyone without having to put up with them seeing him. There was a single rocking chair on the balcony covered in a ugly, floral pattern that looked as if it had come right out of Mrs. Figg's dining room. It was old, and creaky, but he welcomed the noise on most occasions. He couldn't be trusted to be alone with his thoughts, and the consistent creak didn't allow him to be.  
  
The best thing about this place though, was that no one ever came here but him. He'd be surprised if anyone even knew about it. Except, not tonight.  
  
Tonight the balcony was occupied. A thin girl with long, layered, dark brown hair was rocking away, a pad in one hand, a pencil in the other. She was writing like crazy. She was so wrapped up in whatever it was she was doing, she didn't even notice Harry was there.  
  
"Er. hi?" He tried to get her attention.  
  
"Oh! Sorry, I didn't know you were there!" she said, jumping up and quickly putting the notebook into her knapsack.  
  
"It's okay. Sorry, I didn't realize anyone came here but me." Harry said.  
  
"Oh, this is my first time. I was looking for a place to write, and I found this place." She explained. She had pale skin, and big, blue eyes. And now that she was standing, Harry realized how tall she was. She was about level with Harry, maybe an inch shorter, if that.  
  
"Elizabeth O'Reilly, by the way." She stuck out her hand. Harry introduced himself.  
  
"Oh yes, that's right. I've heard a lot about you in the Ravenclaw Common Room."  
  
"Don't believe everything you hear. You're a Ravenclaw?"  
  
"Yeah. look, I'm really sorry. I can leave if you want me to." Elizabeth said.  
  
"No. I need company. Just not any of my friends. They care about me so much that they tip toe around trying not to bring up anything that might upset me. They don't realize that that's not what I need right now." Harry explained.  
  
"Well, that doesn't seem like a really bad problem, friends caring for you so much." She said.  
  
"No, not at all, I understand they're trying to help, but I just. need a break."  
  
"Okay, well wait one sec." she took her want out of cloak pocket, gave a little flick, and a bright orange, bean bag with white fur outlining appeared opposite the rocking chair, it was hideous.  
  
"I'm, uh, still mastering it. Let me try again." She gave the wand another flick and the bean bag turned into a armchair, the same color as before, minus the fur lining. "Sorry." She said, sheepishly.  
  
"It's fine." Harry plopped down, wriggled a bit, then "The color reminds me of month old macaroni, but it's very comfy."  
  
Bridget giggled.  
  
"So what's the famous Harry Potter doing in this particular balcony? I'd think you'd be at one of the more posh balconies." She smiled. She was now sitting cross-legged in the rocker, bundled up in her cloak looking at Harry smiling. She looked like a 4- year old waiting for her bedtime story.  
  
"You know, I tried those out, the posh one's I mean, but they had far too much attitude for me. This one was perfect though. The rocker's not too uncomfortable, and you can see everything. I come here to think, read, mostly I just like being by myself."  
  
"I know what you mean."  
  
"What about you? What were you writing?" Harry asked, looking up into the sky. The pounding rain had stopped, the temperature had gotten colder, and now when he breathed, a puff of smoke would come out, then back in.  
  
"Mostly for the same reasons as you. I just sometimes like to be by myself. And I needed a place to write. Plus it's beautiful out here." She gestured to the forest and the lake.  
  
"What do you write?"  
  
"Anything that comes to mind. poems, fiction, short stories, and I've tried writing novels, but I can't focus on one thing for that amount of time. Writing just, takes me to a different place. time. realm. I don't have to put up with anything in my life when I'm writing. I get to be someone completely different for that short amount of time. And I get to pick who it is, and where. And sometimes that's just the right antidote." She paused for a minute. "Sorry, I don't mean to bore you with my compassion. I'm sure you have something like that. I suppose it's quidditch for you right?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah. Yeah, I suppose it is. I've never thought about it like that though."  
  
"Well, it's getting late. I'd better get back before I get in trouble for being out of bed past hours." She said, getting up.  
  
"Yeah, me too. I'll walk you, I have an invisibility cloak we can use just in case."  
  
"That's okay. I'm pretty sure Ravenclaw Common Room is in the opposite direction. I'll just walk quickly, and if any of the teachers of Filch, or Mrs. Norris comes I'll just. run for cover." She said, grabbing her bag and waving goodbye.  
  
*If I get enough good reviews, I'll continue with the second chap. Please review!* 


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